Federal High Court Ruling Secures Pro-Wike Leadership in Rivers PDP
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a significant ruling that restrains governors of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), along with the National Working Committee (NWC) and Board of Trustees (BoT), from dissolving the executive committees in Rivers State. The ruling specifically protects the leadership aligned with former Governor Nyesom Wike, ensuring that the current structure remains intact amidst internal party tensions.
In addition to blocking the dissolution of the executive committees, the court also forbade the PDP leadership from appointing any interim committees to replace the pro-Wike officers at the state, local government, and ward levels. This decision follows a legal application filed by Aaron Chukwuemeka, leader of the PDP Rivers State Executive Committee, along with officials from the local government and ward levels. The court’s ruling is seen as a protective measure to ensure the stability of the current leadership structure.
Justice Lifu highlighted that the officials in question were duly elected earlier this year during the PDP congresses. His ruling emphasizes that the national PDP body should not tamper with the leadership in Rivers State, thus reinforcing the elected officers’ authority. This legal outcome affirms the power of pro-Wike factions within the party and prevents any immediate changes to leadership at all levels in the state.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has addressed rumors that court orders were blocking the upcoming local government elections, set for October 5th. Tony Okocha, former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee, had previously claimed that ongoing litigations were preventing the elections from taking place. However, RSIEC has firmly dismissed these claims.
Mr Tobins Tamunotonye, RSIEC’s Commissioner for Civic Education, clarified that there are no court orders hindering the elections. Tamunotonye reaffirmed the commission’s full readiness to proceed with the local government elections as scheduled. This development adds clarity and stability to the political atmosphere in Rivers State ahead of the elections.
